Perfect Little Moments
by Huntress of the Shadows
Summary: It isn't always the big moments in life that make the most impact. Sometimes the little ones, such as the brush of hands or a night of star-gazing, can work the most magic. And those are the ones that make the world turn. A series of mostly unrelated drabbles on Beast Boy and Raven. Chapter Ten- Western! AU
1. Alone Together

**Huntress: So, this is just a series of drabbles, not really connected, that I'll post whenever I have a new scene. They'll all be Beast Boy and Raven; I'll try and post once a week, but no promises. This first one takes place a week or so after **_The Beast Within_**. It's rather cute. Happy reading!**

**Beast Boy: Huntress sadly does not own Teen Titans. We belong to DC Comics. She does own her plots though!**

Alone Together

Raven sat in her room, alone, as usual. Alone, always alone. No matter what happened or what they all went through, she was always alone at the end of the day. No matter which way you looked at it, she always ended up alone. She had come accept it, really. After the Malchior incident she didn't believe it was possible for there to be anything else for her. No, it was better this way.

However, the others of the team didn't seem to accept this.

Especially Beast Boy.

All hours of the day and night he annoyed her. Asking her if she wanted to watch movies with them, or go out for pizza or anything that popped into his demented little mind. He didn't get that all Raven wanted to do was to lose herself in her books, in a fantasy world where good always prevails and no one could find her. But, of course, that wasn't allowed. He had to come banging on her door, shouting through it in an obnoxiously loud voice and whining about her being anti-social.

Every time, she sent him away with a dead-pan voice, threats of inter-dimensional travel and a death glare.

And every day, he came back with a new reason for her to leave her room. Today was no different.

Raven was jarred out of her book by loud banging on her door. "Beast Boy," she muttered, "I'm going to kill you." She stalked across the room; eyes narrowed dangerously and opened the door a crack. "What?" she snarled.

As predicted, Beast Boy stood awkwardly on the other side. "Um, hi Raven. I was just wondering if you might want to come watch a movie with us. It's something Star chose."

Raven narrowed her eyes farther. "No. I'm reading."

Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck, his ears drooping slightly. "Look, I don't mean to pry, but why don't you ever spend time with us? I mean, we're your friends, right?"

"Yes…" she answered warily, not sure what he was getting at. It could be anything with him.

"Then why won't you spent any time with us?" he demanded, voice rising a bit, "We try to get you out of your room, but all you say is no! You'd rather read, or do whatever you do in there, than hang out with us! Why?"

Raven was startled. Beast Boy never lost his temper, especially not with her. In a rush, she remembered the Beast's appearance not that long ago. It wouldn't be a good idea to provoke him. "Sorry," she muttered, unsure of what to do.

Beast Boy shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'm going." With that, he turned and stalked down the hall, to the stairs.

Raven leaned against the door frame, eyes closed. Maybe she should go talk to him. Explain why she stayed in her room. No. If he found out what she was, he'd hate her. They all would. It would just be best to stay away and keep them safe. Right?

After another moment of thought, she decided to go meditate. She carefully took off her cloak, leaving it on a peg near the door and phased through the ceiling, to the roof. She then sat in her favorite spot, facing the ocean. The sun had begun to set, casting a fiery glow over the water and the Tower. Crossing her legs, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the salty air.

"What are you doing up here?"

Raven's eyes shot open and she scrambled to her feet, ready for a fight, only to find Beast Boy standing behind her. She pressed a hand to her now racing heart and relaxed slightly. "I _was_ meditating. What are _you_ doing up here?"

He shrugged, walking forward a few paces to stand beside her. "It clears my mind. I like being high up."

"Why aren't you downstairs with the others?" Raven queried.

He smirked. "I told you Starfire chose the movie, right? It was about the making of hotdogs- again. And I'm vegetarian.'

She nodded slightly. "Makes sense."

"I thought you said you wanted to be alone?" Beast Boy asked, turning his head to the side to look at her.

She shrugged. "So I did. I don't really care though. Didn't you want to be alone?"

"Yeah. Hey, we can be alone together," he laughed, plopping down and sitting with his legs crossed.

"I guess…" Raven sat down beside him carefully, waiting for him to spring some sort of joke on her. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the salty air again.

Surprisingly, Beast Boy didn't do anything. He just sat there in silence, his body radiating heat in the chilly night air.

For ages, what could have been hours or millennia, the pair sat there, neither making a move nor speaking. The night air steadily grew colder as the sun set and the stars twinkled into existence. There was no noise except for the sound of the waves below and the wind above them. Raven gave a small shiver and squeezed her eyes shut tighter.

Something warm wound itself around her shoulders. Raven leaned slightly into it, grateful for its heat. Then, a thought struck her. She opened her eyes and glanced at Beast Boy, who was still staring at the horizon. Then, she looked to her shoulder. Beast Boy's was resting there, reaching around her.

She paused a moment, contemplating murdering him there and then. With a slight hesitation, she leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder, and resumed staring at the dark water below, now dotted with spots of silver. The stars in the ocean seemed to be dancing as the pair of friends slowly fell asleep to the sound of waves on the shore.

**Huntress: Raven, will you do the honors?**

**Raven: *Sigh* Fine. Review. And if there's a certain kind of scene you'd like to see, PM Huntress and she'll do her best. Can I go back to reading now?**

**Huntress: Thanks for reading!**


	2. A Little Luck

**Huntress: Yay, an update! Thank you to all those who reviewed, followed and favorited the story; it means a lot to me. Even if a review's only a few words, it makes me so happy to see them. And the more reviews I get, the sooner I update. ;) So those who didn't review, there's a little button at the bottom of the screen for you. For those who did, your appreciatiation is also at the bottom. Anyway, I am writing this from the basement of Titans East Tower! I'm here with Raven and Jinx, and we are on a mission to kidnap a certain Titan and use his diary as a fan fiction! Say hi to the nice people girls.**

**Raven: You don't pay us enough for this.**

**Jinx: She doesn't pay us at all. **

**Huntress: You bet I don't! I'm mostly broke, anyway.**

**Jinx: And yet you find money to buy the new Gone book…**

**Huntress: … Just do the disclaimer.**

**Jinx: Fine. Huntress of the Shadows doesn't own the Teen Titans. We belong to DC Comics. She doesn't technically own this fan-fic either, as it takes place in The End Part One.**

**Huntress: I edited this scene a bit, so please don't hate me. Happy reading and wish us luck!**

A Little Luck

Raven turned away from the door to her cell- no, cell meant she was imprisoned against her will and that she belonged in restraint. She was here of her own accord and for her own good. Confinement area sounded more pleasant. She dropped her gaze to the floor, her hood shadowing her face and her cloak gathering around her body.

There was a quiet hiss and a click as the door behind her clicked shut and her friends filed out. How did they not hate her? She was the daughter of a demon, the very incarnation of evil. Devil spawn. Her purpose was only to be a portal that would lead to the destruction of the Earth. Ana yet they protected her, as if that would help in the least. They were prepared to face down Trigon the Terrible if it meant defending Raven.

Behind her, the eight-inch thick steel door hissed open again. Raven stiffened and whirled around, expecting some demon sent by Trigon- she refused to think of him as her father. Instead of the fiery, grotesque minor demon she was anticipating, a pair of bright green eyes were staring back at her.

For a moment that lasted ages, Raven found herself captivated in their emerald depths. Emotions swirled beneath their glassy surface and she was drawn into them. Emotions, too many to count or list, pushed their way into her mind. Fear and concern for her safety as well as determination to protect her were the most prominent. However, there was one that was unfamiliar to her. She could feel the first three emotions rolling off the person in waves. But the fourth was tucked deeper into the subconscious and guarded much more heavily.

"Raven?" A soft whisper filled Raven's ears and she found that she was staring into _Beast Boy's_ eyes. She took a hasty step back, suddenly glad for the hood, as he couldn't see her blush.

"What?" she muttered, glancing between him and the floor.

Beast Boy stood awkwardly in front of her, one hand on the back of his neck. His other hand hung limply at his side, his fingers tightly closed around something. "I-I… uh… Have something for you," he murmured, casting his eyes down. He moved forward and took Raven's hand in his free one. He gently placed something small in her palm. He closed her fingers around it and whispered, "For luck," keeping his eyes locked with hers. He gave her hand a squeeze and lightly placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb tracing her cheek bone. Then he turned and ran out the door.

Raven stood still, not really sure what had just happened. She opened her hand slowly to find a small copper disk resting there. It was slightly tarnished, yet still shone merrily in the florescent lights. A penny. Specifically, the penny Best Boy had found earlier that day. What was the superstition? When you find a penny, it brings you luck.

She sighed. She'd need all the luck she could get and then some, not that it would help. Raven rubbed the face of the coin slowly with her thumb. "Please," she whispered, bringing it close to her face, "Keep them safe. Let me protect them from Trigon."

The coin seemed to shine a little brighter, as if agreeing to her request. Raven sat down in the center of the room, her eyes closed as she thought of her friends.

Robin was their fearless leader. Yet she had seen a side to him that was softer, more compassionate. He helped her not be so terrified of her fate. She couldn't let him down, not ever.

Starfire was her best friend, the person Raven knew she could always go to for support and to pour her heart out to. Even if Star didn't know what to do, she would smile and tell her everything would be alright.

Cyborg was her older brother, always her protector. He would murder anybody who tried to hurt Raven. Now it was here turn to protect him.

Beast Boy… He was the one who always made her laugh on the inside, though she couldn't show it. And perhaps one day he'd be more. But he had faith in her, and that was all Raven needed.

Yes, she would protect them, even if it meant sacrificing herself and the rest of the God damned planet.

**Huntress: Okay, we're still locked in the basement, but no worries! We'll be out eventually. Raven, I thought you knew the codes?**

**Raven: Well, sorreee. This isn't my tower. I don't know everything. You know, it would be easier to kidnap someone from your own dimension. **

**Jinx: Fine, I'll open it. *Shoots hexes at the door* *Door explodes and alarms go off***

**Raven: Now you've done it! Let's go!**

***All three run upstairs and down corridors. They stop at a door with an arrow on it.***

**Huntress: Here it is. Raven, you take our lovely friend in there back to my room. Jinx, you stall Bee and I'll get the diary. **

**Raven and Jinx: Got it.**

**Huntress: Before I die by Bumble Bee, I would like to thank those who reviewed. **

**[Marylost14- Yeah, from now on I'm calling you Mary. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being the first reviewer and being an epic friend. Post that Lost story so I can read it!**

**Stormygirl335- You think so? Thank you!**

**Harmonious Wolf- Thank you for thinking so! I wasn't sure how I did, or if the characters were a little OOC. I hope they stay in character for this one.**

**Bluelightsaber12- Thank you! I hope you like this one as well!]**

**Bumble Bee: What in the name of all things holy are you doing here Huntress? I thought you were in Jump?**

**Huntress: Yeah, well I needed to get something from Speedy. *holds up diary* But I'm just leaving now. Bye! *Jumps into plot hole***

**Bee: That girl… Review, please!**


	3. The Raven's Flight

**Huntress: Thank you to all those who've reviewed! As last time, your official thank you/ response is at the bottom. And I am pleased to announce that I will have another story up soon! In the words of Doctor Number Nine, "Fantastic!" Now, I'm sure you all are wondering what happened to Speedy. Well, he's a little tied up at the moment. –Maniacal Laugh-**

**Speedy: -Is tied up in corner- Help!**

**Huntress: Anywho, this story is after Things Change. Sad episode wasn't it? This'll be a three part installment to the series. One part in Raven's POV, one in Beast Boy's and the final in both parts! Speedy…**

**Speedy: No! You kidnapped me!**

**Huntress: For exactly this reason! Now do it!**

**Speedy: Fine. Huntress of the Shadows doesn't own the Teen Titans. We belong to DC Comics. It's a scary world when you don't own yourself… She does own this idea, though.**

**Huntress: Was that so hard? Anyway, happy reading!**

Of Earth and Sky

The Raven's Flight

Terra.

If she hadn't been trapped in a stone statue, Raven would have killed her for the things she had done. Not only had she betrayed the Titans' trust and friendship, she had taken Beast Boy's heart and shattered it, stomped on it, ripped it apart and had ground it into the dirt. Not that that mattered to Raven. No, she just hated being betrayed. She wasn't envious of Terra, not at all. Not Terra, the girl who had betrayed them. Not Terra, the girl she had thought to be her friend. Not Terra, with her long blonde hair, her angelic features and innocent blue eyes. Not Terra, the girl who had won Beast Boy's heart.

Yes, Terra was a no good, lying, betraying psychopath. She was Slade's apprentice and a Titan. She was an enemy and a friend. She had tried to destroy the entire city, along with the team, and had sacrificed herself to save them in the end.

Throughout everything that had happened, Raven couldn't bring herself to completely hate Terra. She had harmed Raven's friends in every way possible, yet had made up for it as well. Her evils and goods balanced out in Raven's mind, placing her in a kind of limbo. She hadn't earned Raven's trust, but hadn't earned her hate either.

It was almost impossible for a person to hate someone so very, very similar to their own heart. At the time, none of the Titans knew much of Raven's path. They knew she hailed from the planet Azarath and that she had been raised the monks there. That was it. They had no idea that she was the daughter of Trigon, or that she was destined to be his portal.

Terra was similar. She had very little control over her powers and no one knew what happened in her past. She didn't talk about it and avoided asking any questions about the others' pasts.

Terra did have a few redeeming qualities. Such as how she made Beast Boy so happy and how she enjoyed- not tolerated, not pretended to like- actually enjoyed Starefire's cooking. And how she was quiet when Raven needed calm to meditate or practice spells. And she did save the Titans, destroying Slade in the process.

No, Raven didn't hate her. Strongly disliked was much more accurate. She also resented the fact that it was Terra who had won Beast Boy's heart, and not her.

Raven tried her best to ignore thinking about that factor, Did she like him? As a friend, definitely. He was her friend and team mate, the person who made her laugh on the inside, who could make her insides go Jello-like with a single look. As something more, perhaps. Did she love him? That, she wasn't sure she'd ever figure out. She found out she might like him as more than just a friend after Terra joined.

At first, Raven didn't know what made her blood boil when she saw the pair together. After a rather stressing trip she took to Nevermore, she discovered a newer emotion under the name of Love. Love seemed to be the personification of everything Raven wasn't. She wore a pink cloak- similar to that of Happy, though slightly darker- and couldn't go five minutes without laughing or singing or hugging one of Raven's other emotions. She was gentle, sweet, caring, over-emotional and so freaking happy. It was almost repulsive. She also had another side, much more similar to the personality of Raven. This part was fiercely loyal and ready to die for her friends.

After a brief talk with Love, who had been sleeping in the recesses of Raven's mind, she learned that Envy had awoken Love, around the time Terra joined the team. From there, everything fell into place. Though she tried to deny it, the evidence was irrefutable. She was envious of Terra. Raven tried to protect Beast Boy during fights with villains. He was always the first one she'd seek out for healing afterward and the one she'd look to for comfort.

She was falling for him, slowly but surely. And there was nothing she could do about it.

Rave sighed and leaned back on her bed. Why him? He was immature, unrealistic and a complete idiot. He didn't understand the depth of the world or the consequences of his actions.

And yet Beast Boy had his moments of sanity. At times he would look her in the eye and be completely serious. He was loyal to a fault and always knew how to make a situation lighter. And, though Raven would never admit it, he was handsome in a… green sort of way.

After the Titans had returned from fighting the Brotherhood of Evil, Beast Boy had thought he had found Terra. Three years had gone by and his heart still belonged to her. Terra, the betrayer. Terra, who had thrown him away as if he were nothing to her. And yet he still wanted her back, to be his again.

Raven knew there was no hope for her. After all, who could ever love a demon like her? But she still had to try…

Huntress: Say it with me! 1, 2, 3… Awwww! I must say, that was rather fun to write! Thanks to all those who reviewed, favorite and followed!

BioReck- Thank you so much! I did my best to work my way into her mind for this

Tigerlily958- Thank you! I did my best to put Raven's emotions into it, or how I thought she would think.

Nkcandygirl- Thank you for thinking so! I wasn't sure how it would fare.

.skunk- Thank you! I tried to describe it as I saw in my mind, and I tried not to make it too long.

Speedy: Send in some reviews and this will be updated next Tuesday!


	4. The Beast's Freedom

**Huntress: I'm baaaaack! As promised, this is the next part in the ****Of Earth and Sky**** trilogy. The last one was Earth, or Terra. Did you know that Terra is Latin for Earth? The things you learn from ****Percy Jackson****… Anywho, can any of you guess who this part is? It's Sky and someone Raven loved, or thought she did. Take a wild guess!**

**Speedy: Ooh, ooh I know! It's M- -has sock stuffed in his mouth-**

**Huntress: No telling, Speedster! They'll figure it out soon enough. Oh, and sorry for any Terra-bashing in the last chapter. Honestly, I quite like her. And this character too. Happy reading!**

**Speedy: -with sock in mouth- Hunpwess off ba Shaows doss nat owm ba Peen Pitans.**

**Translation: Huntress of the Shadows does not own the Teen Titans.**

Of Earth and Sky

The Beast's Freedom

Malchior.

If he wasn't trapped in the Book of Nol, Beast Boy would have murdered him by now. The very mention of his name caused his skin to crawl and his blood to boil. Malchior, the monstrous dragon who had used Raven- _his _Raven- in an attempted escape into the modern world. Malchior, who had twisted Raven's emotions in his desperate bid for freedom. He had torn apart Raven's heart and endangered the entire world. He had betrayed her and had forced Beat Boy to stoop to snooping outside of Raven's door. Yes, that was all Malchior's fault, along with her anger towards him for it.

Wait, his Raven? Since when had she become that? The Titans had become Beast Boy's family after he left the Doom Patrol. That's what they were; a really crazy, psychotic, dysfunctional family. Robin was their OCD, protective older brother, or father if you wanted to make them seem all the more insane. Cyborg was the easy-going, fun-loving, albeit slightly eccentric, brother or possibly uncle. You know, the one that makes everyone else seem perfectly normal. Starfire was the intelligent-yet-innocent sister. The girl could do quadratic equations as if they were simple addition, and was still confused by many of Earth's customs. Raven… She was a mystery to him. She was Cyborg's little sister, Robin's faithful consultant and the best friend of Starfire. She protected each of them and they protected her. But what was she to him?

Beast Boy considered this. Quite contrary to popular belief, he actually had a working brain. He simply tended not to use it before he spoke. He was actually rather intelligent. Well, what would you expect from the son of a pair of zoologists?

Raven was his friend, which was for certain. She wasn't his sister like Star was or simply his friend like Bumble Bee or Jinx. On second thought, she was a lot like Jinx. She was quiet, kept mostly to herself, was an immensely powerful sorceress and had no qualms about insulting him. She hated him. Right?

_She doesn't hate you, _a voice whispered in the back of Beast Boy's mind, _On the contrary, she had feelings for you she can't admit, so she lashes out at you. _

Beast Boy sighed in agitation. It was the Beast. He had been making more frequent appearances lately, murmuring thoughts and observations into his head. "I know she doesn't hate me," he said aloud, "It just seems like she does. You've given me this speech before. She's dealing with her emotions; she's dealing with her past, blah, blah, blah. Wait… Did you say that she likes me?"

The beast would have rolled his eyes if he had a physical form. _Yes, you idiot. Can't you tell? When you enter a room or move close to her, she stiffens. He watches you out of the corner of her eye and fights with you when you're wrong, which happens to be quite frequent. She always has your back in a fight and goes to you first to check for wounds first afterwards. Raven likes you, and as more than just a friend._

Beast Boy was shocked by this. Raven, ice queen of Titans Tower, had a crush on him. Him, Beast Boy the Idiot. "But… What about Malchior? She fell for him so easily. He taught her all that magic and told her she wasn't creepy, just misunderstood and… and…" he dropped his head to his hands and groaned, "And she fell in love with him! She fell for a giant, scaly lizard, not me."

The Beast growled. _What are you, an Alpha or an Omega? Take control of your life in the pack, or I will! Raven is our chosen mat, so tell her before she is lost!_

Beast Boy shook his head sadly. "She'll throw me out of a window or something. She doesn't like me. She thinks I'm annoying and brainless. She couldn't love me, even if she wanted to, which she never would! If she did, she couldn't show it, anyway."

The Beast snarled in his head. _That's not true! You love her and she loves you. Raven thinks you can't possibly feel the same, so she says nothing. It's up to you to show her that for once in her life, she's wrong. Become an Alpha in the pack and take control! _With those final words, the Beast faded back into the recesses of Beast Boy's mind, leaving the teen to consider his words, or rather, thoughts.

The Beast spoke to him as if he were an animal, encouraging him to fall on more primal urges, as it was in his nature to. Was he an animal? No, he was a full blooded human being… Right?

Beast Boy remembered what Raven had said to him the night the Beast had made his first appearance. Those words would keep him strong and stay with him forever.

"Having that thing inside of you doesn't make you an animal. Knowing when to let it out is what makes you a man."

**Huntress: Well, time to work on my other fiction. Before I leave, here are the answers to your lovely reviews and thanks to all of those who favorite and followed. If you haven't reviewed, please do. They just might get you a faster update. On with the replies! **

**Nkcandygirl- Thank you! It wasn't intended when I had the idea, but as I started it, it seemed to fit. Except it's more of a love square now…**

** .skunk- Thank you! The trip to Nevermore seemed a bit clichéd, so I almost scrapped it. It's nice to know that it wasn't terrible. And thank you a million times over for reviewing!**

**Marylost14- -gives bone-crushing hug- Thank you! You're the one who made it better. Good Lord, Health class should become Fanfiction writing class. Post the stories soon, I need to read them!**

**Raven Rachel Roth I Love TT- Yes, hopefully I'll find the time to type that soon. Though Speedy's kind of resisting… I might just make that his fic… Ooh, you've inspired me! Thank you so much!**

**Lanamere- Thank you for reviewing this story and my other one! I hope to be able to update them both today, but you never know.**

**Speedy: Okay, give me back the journal, Huntress. I don't want to have my own story, I want to go home.**

**Huntress: No! And you can't anyway, because you broke the mirror! :P**

**Speedy: Review and say if you want my diary posted or not!**


	5. The Sparrow and the Nightingale

**Huntress: Hullo there. I'm back. Terribly sorry for missing update day; I had no time at all. Big history quiz today and I studied like a madwoman last night and this morning. **

**Speedy: You are a madwoman.**

**Huntress: You're just mad that I'm holding your diary hostage.**

**Speedy: It's not a diary! It's, uh… A creative writing journal. Yeah!**

**Huntress: Weren't you just saying that expressing your thoughts through writing is stupid?**

**Speedy: … I hate you.**

**Huntress: I know. Onto the story! This'll be the completer for ****Of Earth and Sky ****and the starter for my holiday stories. Let's see if you all hate me by the end of the chapter. Oh, and when the story goes to italics, this is what is going on in Beast Boy's head.**

**Speedy: Then I won't be alone. Huntress of the Shadows does not own Teen Titans or Christmas. Or whatever Raven and Starfire celebrate. Those respectively belong to DC Comics, Christianity/Azarathean/Tamaranian. She does own her legend of the Sparrow and the Nightingale though.**

**Huntress: Happy reading!**

**The Sparrow and the Nightingale**

Best Boy faced a dilemma. In his mind it was huge, of epic proportions, something that could black out the sun. In reality, it was more of a nuisance. His issue- or, rather, issues- were Melvin, Timmy and Teether.

The three young heroes had come to Titans Tower for Christmas. This meant that all rooms containing anything sharp, poisonous, flammable or personal had to be locked (Beast Boy had run into his door many, many times because of this). It also meant that Raven had no time for him. And then Teether had also eaten his shoe.

Apparently, Robin had invited the trio of super-powered kids for Christmas (which was three weeks away) without telling anybody. It was supposedly Starfire's idea, but Beast Boy had his suspicions. Raven, though she didn't show it, was overjoyed to see the three who she considered to be her younger siblings again. So, she spent as much time as possible with them.

In the four days Melvin, Timmy and Teether had been in the Tower, cookies had been baked, a tree had been found and decorated, lights had been strung in and outside and the entire place looked as if it had been hit by a red and green whirlwind. And Starfire and Raven didn't even celebrate Christmas!

Never the less, the Tower was thoroughly decorated by the visiting children and an over-enthusiastic Starfire. A Christmas tree sat in the center of the main room, covered in multi-colored lights and a variety of ornaments. Starfire had dragged Raven to the kitchen several times in the attempt to make cookies, most of which ended up burned or in a gelatin-like state. However, the gingersnaps didn't end up half-bad, though Cyborg had helped the pair with those. The main room and halls had been decorated with a multitude of ribbons, garlands and wreaths.

Honestly, the Tower looked fantastic. Beas Boy only wished that Melvin, Timmy and Teether were around Raven a bit less. It had been a week since the Beast had spoken to him about her. He really _was _trying to tell her how he felt, he just couldn't find the right time to do so.

It was at the end of the fifth day the tiny trio had been with the Titans. Raven, as usual, sat with the three in their designated guest room, putting them to bed. Beast Boy was passing by the room with the hope of getting a chance to talk to Raven when he heard something interesting.

"Will you tell us a story, Raven?" the quiet voice of Melvin piped up. Beast Boy back-pedaled to stand outside the door.

A sigh from Raven. "Sure, Melvin. What do you guys want to hear?" A chair slid across the floor and weight dropped into it.

"A love story!"

"A war story"

"Agaga!"

Raven gave a short laugh. "I'll tell you one my mother told me. It's called _The Sparrow and the Nightingale_. Ready?"

There was silence. Beast Boy assumed they were nodding.

"Alright. Once, in a land far, far away from here, there was a forest that was divided by a stream. On one half, the forest was dark and quiet and almost impossible to get out of, unless you knew the hidden pathways. This was called the Nyxian Forest. The other half was bright and cheerful, filled with the sound of chattering birds. This was the Deloran Woods."

Beast Boy found himself being dragged away with the tale, his mind filled with the image of this land, one half bright as day, the other dark as night.

_The two separate forests were at war with one another. The Nyxian people viewed the Delorans as barbaric and mindless. The Delorans thought the Nyxians were evil and mysterious .No one could remember when the war started or why it had, only that it existed and it was happening to them._

_The leader of the Nyxian people had a daughter. She was a dark beauty, with long black hair and dark, forest green eyes. Her name was Nightingale, after her beautiful singing voice. She was also one of the rare few who could change into an animal of their own will, the animal of her namesake._

_There was only one other person in both forests who could transform. He was a young man, the same age as Nightingale, and the eldest child of the Deloran leaders. He could change into a Sparrow, which was his name as well. Sparrow was blonde haired and blue eyed, a common look in the Deloran Woods._

_Sparrow had recently reached adulthood and, as an initiation ceremony, was to spend the night in the Nyxian Forest. At twilight, he set out to the border between the forests, which was a wide, deep stream. As soon as the sun had completely vanished below the horizon, he entered the dark forest, keeping one hand on his dagger at all times. His mission was to find a songbird- a bird that belonged on his side of the forest- and bring it back._

_Not far into the Nyxian Forest, he heard an eerie, mournful song. This was none other than the song of the nightingale, specifically, Nightingale. Sparrow did not know his however and was determined to find the bird and bring it back to the light. The boy transformed into his bird-self and flew into the air in search of the calling bird._

_He soon came across a small, dusky brown bird, a nightingale, and perched upon its branch. The bird was Nightingale, though Sparrow did not know this._

"_Why are you singing so sadly?" Sparrow chirped, expecting to know the answer._

_Nightingale looked at him, her eyes swimming with sorrow. "My father is dying, my mother is dead," she sang, the melody eerie and enthralling, "I will be alone soon and left to lead, I am too young, I cannot do this on my own. I need someone to help me choose my path."_

_Sparrow let out a breathy sigh. The songbirds were known to go mad in the dark forest. "Come with me," he twittered, "I'll help you."_

_The other bird nodded and fluttered to the ground below. Once she hit the Earth, the little bird transformed into her human self. She looked back up at him with a look that said, _Still think you can help?

_Sparrow was in shock. The only other person able to transform was the next leader of the Nyxians, the person he was supposed to hate. He fluffed out his feathers and flew to the ground as well, landing beside the girl and morphing into his human form._

_Nightingale took a step back from him, fear flashing in her eyes. Sparrow was supposed to be her lifetime rival, as all leaders should be. She had heard horror stories of Deloran raiders who had crossed the border to attack the small Nyxian encampments. _

_Sparrow held up his hands. "I won't hurt you. See? No weapons."_

_She ignored his words, shifting into a fighting stance that would allow her to flee at a moment's notice. Glaring defiantly, she said firmly, "Get out of my forest."_

_He chuckled "Why would I do that? It's kind of nice here. Not so many people. And shouldn't the future leader of the Nyxians be a little more, I don't know, aggressive?"_

_Nightingale's glare intensified and she snarled, "I'll give you one warning, Deloran. Leave now, or I will make you leave. Get out."_

_Sparrow shifted back, a smirk on his face. "Gale, isn't it? Pretty name, though it doesn't really suit you. I'm Sparrow, by the way."_

_She bared her teeth. "It's Nightingale," she growled and lunged at him. The heel of her hand slammed hard into his shoulder._

_He stumbled back from the force of the bow. "I can't fight a girl," he protested, blue eyes wary, "It's wrong."_

"_You should have thought of that before coming here," Nightingale retorted, swinging her leg out and sweeping his legs from under him, "Delorans live to fight. You all are barbaric."_

_Sparrow hit the dirt. "That's not true! You Nyxians are always fighting; we just defend ourselves."_

_Nightingale stepped back. "__**We**__ defend our honor, that's it. We don't senselessly kill people for revenge. Now get out before I decide to hurt you more than necessary." She turned and began heading for the shadows of her forest._

_Sparrow scrambled to his feet. "Wait, are you just leaving me here? Not taking me across or anything? What if I get lost?"_

_She stopped and snorted. "It'll be your own fault then. I'll be watching you, if you try to stay. And if you ever come back and I catch you, I will drag you back to my father and he isn't nearly as merciful as me." With that, she faded into the darkness._

_However, the neat night Sparrow came back. He sat in the same clearing as the night before and waited. And, sure enough, Nightingale showed up again._

_She leaned against an ivy covered tree, her arms crossed over her chest. "Why are you back?" she asked incredulously._

_Sparrow shrugged, not turning to face her. "Felt like it. Sit with me?" He patted the earth beside him._

_Nightingale hesitated, and then crossed the forest floor to sit beside him. For hours the pair sat, talking and laughing until the sun painted the horizon a golden pink. It was then they said their goodbyes and left._

_For many months the two would come to that clearing at night and watch the stars, talking about anything that they could think of. Eventually, they fell in love. One night, Nightingale didn't show up. For a week this happened, until one warm summer night._

_Nightingale appeared out of the shadows as she had so many times before, her eyes dark and sad, her shoulders weighed down by an invisible force and her feet dragging. She sat heavily beside Sparrow, took one look at him and began to sob. _

_After much comforting, she finally told him that her father's illness had taken a turn for the worst and he was now dead. Now she was the sole leader of the Nyxian Forest, something she couldn't do on her own. Her father had planned an attack on the Deloran town and she had to carry it out._

_Sparrow was in shock. There was no way innocent people wouldn't be killed. There had to be away to stop the fight, at east so they wouldn't need to fight each other. So that night, the pair planned to run away together._

_On the day of the raid, Nightingale decided to be the first scout and to have her second-in-command, Lilianna, lead the Nyxians into battle. Sparrow had hidden supplies in the woods for them that morning and had volunteered to be a scout as well._

_The two met at the stream and began making their way out of the forest, away from the place that had always been their home. Behind them, they could hear the roars of battle and knew no one would notice their disappearance for some time._

_As the sun began to set, they set up camp deep in the forest and swore to each other that they would never abandon the other._

Beast Boy heard Raven push back her chair and whisper, "Night you three. Sleep well." Sleepy murmurs responded and footsteps headed for the door.

In a panic, he scrambled to his feet and away from the door, out of sight when Raven would open it. He let out a sigh and leaned against the wall, looking up. He suddenly broke into a broad grin.

The door opened. Perfect. "Hey Rae," he called, "Come here a minute!"

She sighed. "Coming, Beast Boy. And don't call me Rae, it's Raven." Footsteps signaled her approach as she turned the corner and he fought to hide his smile. "What?" she demanded, crossing her arms. She was in the perfect pace.

Beast Boy grinned again and pointed up. Before she could protest, he leaned forward and kissed her. It was a sweet, gentle kiss, one that lasted only a moment. When he pulled back, shock flitted across her face. "Mistletoe," Beast Boy whispered.

"Beast Boy?"

He was jarred awake by someone prodding his side with their toe. His eyes shot open to find Raven looking down at him with an eyebrow raised. "I… Was asleep?" he asked in surprise, scrambling to his feet and running a hand through his hair, spiking it up.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Evidently so. Go to bed if you're tired." She turned and strode down the hall to her room.

Best Boy groaned and slid down the wall. It was only a dream. Damn.

**Huntress: So, hate me yet? I know, I know, I'm a terrible person for that ending. But he'll try twice more if it makes you all feel any better. Onto reviews!**

**Is-something-still-scaring-you – Thank you very much. I'm trying to come up with new ideas and it's great to know if people think this is any good or not. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too.**

**.skunk- You really like it? I thought it was kind of clichéd and thought about taking it out at first. It's fantastic that you think so. The Beast… I felt that he was more than just raw instinct and that he should have a part in this. I hope you like this one too!**

**Nkcandygirl- Thank you! It's nice to be appreciated and I hope you like this chapter too.**

**Guest- Don't worry, I will. This is too much fun to stop.**

**Speedy: Okay.. Review, people! We love you all!**


	6. Songbirds

**Huntress: Yay, a new chapter! Thank you to all of those who have been reading this, it means a lot to me whenever I see a new review or a favorite or a follow. In this chapter, we have more of Beast Boy fails. **

**Speedy: And we introduce Kid Flash and his terrible girl logic. He's worse than I am.**

**Huntress: Quite true. And you're pretty bad yourself. Disclaimer?**

**Speedy: Disclaimer. Huntress of the Shadows does not own the Teen Titans, the idea of this scene or the song, **_**Baby It's Cold Outside.**_

**Huntress: Happy reading!**

**Songbirds**

A week had passed since Beast Boy's first attempt to speak with Raven and he had made no progress what-so-ever. Sure, he had attempted to, but nothing had happened. The first try had been a complete failure, starting with him asking Raven out to her favorite tea house and ending with her slamming the door in her face. He hadn't worded his offer well in the least.

His other try had taken place two days ago and was something he wished he could delete from his memory. Influenced by Cyborg and Robin- neither of whom would ever be trusted with a video camera ever again- Beast Boy had dressed up in a Renaissance costume, stood on a platform lowered outside of Raven's window and recited Romeo's "Bright Angel speech. This resulted in a majorly pissed-off Raven, being locked out of the Tower and having a video of him, his attempt at romance and its after effects on the internet. Needless to say, he was not happy with his friends.

Today he was going to try again, in a desperate bid for success. Not that he was expecting to succeed, no siree. But he was determined to try nonetheless. Beast Boy's plan was simple this time. Nothing fancy would be involved, he'd just help her put Melvin, Timmy and Teether to bed one night. And then he'd ask her if she wanted to do something sometime with him.

Since the tiny trio of heroes had arrived at the Tower, other Titans had arrived as well for the annual winter party that would take place on the twenty-sixth and New Year's. So far, only Kid Flash, Jinx and Argent had shown up, the others still having another week and a half to arrive.

Beast Boy decided to approach Kid Flash on the matter at hand. The other boy was known to be rather experienced in these sorts of things. Hopefully he had some advice. If not, then he could always call Speedy for some help as well.

One night, Kid Flash challenged Beast Boy to a late-night video game duel. A dozen Cokes, a two pizzas and a giant bag of chips and the pair were set until the morning. They played for hours, one kick the other's butt, before the other got revenge in the next round. The cycle lasted until dawn, when the pair finally called a truce and sat back, exhausted.

"Hey, Kid?" Beast Boy asked tentatively, glancing over at the other boy.

Kid Flash opened one drowsy blue eye. "Yeah BB?" he yawned as he settled further into the couch with his hands on his stomach.

Beast Boy looked down at his own hands and twiddled his thumbs. "I, uh, need some advice. You know a lot about girls, right?"

The speedster nodded, motioning for him to continue.

"Well, I have this girl I like and I've been told that she likes me back. But when I try and ask her out, something always goes wrong and it seems like she hates me. What do I do?"

Kid smirked. "First off, is this source of yours reliable? If it is, then she probably just doesn't want to admit it. Next, sweep her off her feet. Girls love that romantic crap, though it does depend on who you're going after." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "It' Raven, isn't it?"

Beast Boy looked up in surprise, his cheeks darkening. "Yeah. How'd you guess?"

He shrugged. "Deductive reasoning. Star's might as well be Robin's girlfriend, Terra's gone, Bee's in Steel and not your type, Jinx is mine- though she doesn't know it yet-, Argent's madder than a hatter and Kole's too sweet and innocent. That leave's Raven. Who told you that she liked you?"

The green boy hesitated. "Star," he lied, not wanting to tell his friend the truth, "I overheard her talking to Bumble Bee."

Kid sighted. "I don't normally give this type of advice, but did you just try telling her? Raven's not the type to fall for the romantic stuff and it might just work."

"What do you think I've been trying to do?" Beast Boy groaned, dropping his head into his hands, "I've done every single thing I can think of and I'm still getting nowhere."

"Yeah, but did you just try telling her?" Kid Flash persisted, "It'll work. I think."

"Yeah, that's real assuring," Beast Boy snorted.

The red head rolled his eyes. "Just try it. The worst you'll get is a no and life will go on. She's probably up now; you can go talk to her."

After a bit more arguing, Beast Boy gave in to Kid Flash's pestering. With a sigh he stood and looked Kid in the eye and said, "If I don't come back, go retrieve my body." Then he went to go find Raven. He could hear footsteps up near her room. She must have just woken up. He headed down towards her room. Stopping by her door, Beast Boy called, "Raven?" and knocked softly on her door.

There was no answer; she must have left already. He was heading away from her room, back down to the kitchen, when he heard a soft sound, almost like singing. It was very quiet, barely hearable to his keen ears. He stopped walking and turned round in an attempt to pin-point the sound's location. It appeared to be coming from the bathroom he and Raven shared. It must be Starfire in there, looking for something. Maybe she had actually learned to sing.

When Beast Boy reached the room, he found the door slightly ajar and steam rolling through the narrow crack of an opening. Opening the door further, he could hear the singing better. It was soft and sweet, not very high and definitely not Starfire. As he looked around the room, he saw nobody at all and the shower was running.

Beast Boy tentatively stepped into the room, making sure he didn't make much noise as he entered. The voice wafted through the shower curtain, singing still and oblivious to his presence. He sat on the bathroom counter, still wondering who was singing, until he noticed the fluffy indigo towel on the rack. It was Raven's. No one- not even Argent of Jinx- would be mad enough to take one of her towels. That meant it was Raven in the shower, singing.

"Oh, I really can't stay," Raven sang, oblivious to Beast Boy being there, "I've got to go away. This evening has been so very nice."

Before he could stop himself, Beast Boy began murmuring the lines as well. He couldn't sing at all, not that he minded. "I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice."

"My mother will start to worry."

"Beautiful, what's your hurry?"

"My father will be pacing the floor."

"Listen to the fireplace roar."

"So really I'd better scurry."

"Beautiful, please don't hurry."

"Maybe just a half a drink more."

"Put some records on while I pour."

"The neighbors might think."

"Baby, it's bad out there."

"Say, what's in this drink?"

"No cabs to be had out there."

"I wish I knew how,"

"Your eyes are like starlight now."

"To break this spell."

"I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell."

"I ought to say no, no, no."

"Mind if I move in closer?"

"At least I'm gonna say that I tried."

"What's the sense in hurting my pride?

"I really can't stay."

"Baby, don't hold out."

"Oh, baby it's cold outside!" The pair belted out at the same volume. Raven's voice abruptly dropped off. A moment later, the water shut off as well and a delicate gray hand reached out from behind the shower curtain and grabbed the indigo towel.

_Aw, shit,_ Beast Boy thought, his heart sinking, _I'm doomed._

Raven's head peered out of the shower, her hair plastered to the sides of her face and her eyes wary. She instantly spotted beast Boy. "What," she said slowly, drawing out the syllables, "Are you doing in here?"

He gave a sheepish smile. "Singing a duet?" he offered.

Her eyes blazed red. "Get. Out. _Now_."

Beast Boy didn't hesitate; he ran for his life.

**Huntress: Another failed attempt on BB's half. Ah, well. He gets one more shot at this, then the holiday mood will be gone. **

**Speedy: Huntress would like to take a moment before reviews to thank every single person who has favorited, followed and reviewed her story. Every time her phone vibrates with a new email from fanfiction, she almost dies of joy. **

**Reviews**

** .skunk- I was hoping someone would notice it. I was going to have him stay awake, then I had this idea and I wanted him to have his happy ending later. This was too much fun to write. Thank you a million and one times for writing such wonderful reviews!**

**Lanamere- Thank you! It's fantastic to know that this is liked. This one was a little cruel too, perhaps…**

**Nkcandygirl- Thanks to thee, my friend!**

**WhimsicalMayhem- Gracias!**

**Huntress: I will see you all next week for the finale of the holiday trio!**

**Speedy: Catch what movie this scene was based off of and win a Kid Flash plushie!**


	7. Red and White, Green and Gray

**Huntress: Welcome back my friends, and many a thanks to those who reviewed, favorite and followed. As usual, review responses are at the bottom. Terribly sorry for the almost four week delay of updating; Christmas was hectic. But I'm back with your holiday special! I'll explain the title later.**

**Speedy: -muttering- Stupid Bee… Raven, too. If I wasn't…**

**Huntress: Yes, my dear archer? **

**Speedy: Bee would kill you if she were here. **

**Huntress: But she isn't here. **

**Speedy: Fine, I'll get Alice to help me find her.**

**Huntress: You will **_**not**_**. Besides, all I have to do is tell her that you were the one who broke the mirror and you're a dead man walking.**

**Speedy: I hate you.**

**Huntress: I know!**

**Speedy: Huntress of the Shadows does not own the Teen Titans or any mistletoe. And thank God for both of those. Otherwise she'd have kissed me on New Year's.**

**Huntress: Happy reading!**

**Red and White, Green and Gray**

Raven hated parties. And every year, two were held in Titans West Tower; the winter party and the summer party. The summer party took place over the fourth of July and featured a picnic on the beach, fireworks and a dozen or so different games. Titans East and all the Honorary Titans were invited to spend the weekend in Jump City. The winter party was more of a series of celebrations over the course of a week. Starting on the twenty-fourth of December, Titans would arrive from across the globe to join in the festivities. Raven hated every second of it.

No, that was a lie. She enjoyed seeing all of her friends again, but hated all of the noise that accompanied them, along with the bombardment of raw emotions that came along with them. Every single damn emotion pounded against her head, until she felt it would explode.

Half of the people in the cleared-out living room were having some sort of complex emotion about another Titan. Kid Flash and Jinx liked each other and refused to admit it, same as Argent and Hot Spot. Robin was overly nervous about asking Starfire to dance and was unable to string together a coherent sentence around her, and she was doing her best to maintain seemingly to his intentions. Más y Menos were busy pining over Star, along with Aqualad.

The other Titans were by far less annoying with their emotions, providing a bit of a reprieve for Raven. Bumble Bee and Cyborg had tested dating each other and had decided that they were better off as friends. Pantha, Red Star, Gnarrk and Bushido were never over-emotional about anything, lest of all about romantic things. Speedy's emotions rarely seemed to stray from a brief interest in one of the female Titans to jealousy over one of the guys with love interests. Jericho and Kole, despite popular belief, were simply very good friends with each other. Herald- who had transported many of the Titans here- hid his emotions rather well, though that could have something to do with the fact that he was currently passed out on the couch.

Raven couldn't help but feel she had missed someone. She ran through the list in her head again. Robin and Starfire, check. Cyborg, check. Speedy and Bumble Bee, check. Beast Boy, not a trace. If he was missing, there was no telling what he might be doing.

She rose from where she sat on the sofa beside Herald's sleeping form and glanced around the room. The party was in full swing, with people out in the center of the common room, which had been cleared out for tables of food and room to dance. Most of her teammates were busy dancing, or trying to get another Titan to notice them or to dance with them. Currently, Argent was dancing with Kid Flash and trying to catch Hot Spot's eye. Said hero was sitting stubbornly in the corner near the food tables, glancing at the pale girl from the corner of his vision. Jinx sat at the base of the steps, visibly steaming that Kid Flash was dancing with someone else. The speedster had agreed to Argent's pan of making the pink haired sorceress and the pyro kinetic jealous. It was working rather effectively.

Robin stood in the kitchen with waves of fear coming off of him. He'd move to the edge of the dance floor occasionally, then stop and flee back to the safety of the kitchen, his head hanging with the shame of being unable to ask a certain alien to dance. Starfire flew above the dance floor, over-joyed to have all of her friends in one place. Mas y Menos and Aqualad were hidden beneath a table, plotting ways to ask the intergalactic princess for a dance and mostly ending in arguments.

Speedy sat lounged across the tops of the steps, carrying on a conversation with Bumble Bee that mostly consisted of him nodding his head and staring off into space. He'd most likely know where Beast Boy had gone.

Raven crossed the room, heading towards the bored archer. "Speedy," she began calmly, cutting Bee off, "Wh-"

The carrot-haired archer shot up. "I swear, it wasn't me! Well, it was, but Aqualad made me do it!"

Both Raven and Bumble Bee gave him curious looks. "What are you talkin' about, Speedy?" Bee questioned, tilting her head to one side, "What'd Aqualad make you do?"

Speedy froze. "I, uh, nothing. He didn't make me do nothing! I mean anything!" He held his hand to his ear and feigned listening to something. "I think I hear someone calling me. Bye!"

As he made to run for it, Bee shot out a hand and grasped the back of his shirt. "Not so fast, archer-boy. You tell me right now, or I will throw you into the bay. Are we clear on that?" She dragged him backward and released him, glaring full on. "Spill, now."

Speedy lowered his head and mumbled something incomprehensible.

"What?" Bee demanded again, her voice dropping dangerously.

"I gave Mas y Menos a baggie of Pixy Stix before we came here," he mumbled again, loud enough to hear this time.

"You did what?!" Bee shrieked, her gray eyes blazing with fury, "Speedy, you have one minute to run before I kill you!"

Raven coughed. "Before you commit a murder I won't prevent, mind if I ask Speedy a question?" Taking Bee's silence as a yes, she turned to look at the archer. "Beast Boy's gone missing, which means he's most likely doing something stupid and dangerous. Where is he?"

Speedy shrugged. "How should I know? He was talking to Aqualad earlier; go ask him for answers."

Raven sighed. "Fine. He's all yours Bee." She turned on her heel and left the orange-haired boy at the mercy of Bumble Bee as she made her way towards the table Aqualad had emerged under from. Mas y Menos were quick to follow him. As she approached the trio, she could hear their mutterings in both English and Spanish.

"Okay, so what have we got planned?"

"Nada, nada en absolute!"

"Si!"

Aqualad let out a loud sigh. "Look, guys. The only way you'd ever be able to actually dance with Star is if you stood on top of each other and we know how you two hate sharing. She's more likely to pick me, anyways."

"Oy!"

"Starfire es nuestra!"

"I hate to interrupt your… discussion over Starfire, but I need to speak with you Aqualad," Rave stated, stepping directly behind him.

The Atlantian jumped and twisted around to face her. "What? Oh, hi Raven, What do you need?"

"Beast Boy's gone missing, meaning that he's most likely doing something stupid and dangerous. Where did he go? Speedy said he was talking to you before he disappeared."

Aqualad shrugged apologetically. He said he was going upstairs to do something and that you weren't supposed to follow him. He also said that if you did, he would have Speedy chase you around all night with mistletoe."

Raven frowned. Beast Boy was serious if he decided to threaten her with Speedy. She'd risk it. After all, she could always send Speedy to another dimension. "Thank you," she said curtly, nodding to the Atlantian, "But I'll take my chances." She turned in a whirl of her indigo cloak and stormed toward the doors. If he had threatened her with Speedy, then he must really want to be left alone. This meant that she'd have to stop whatever idiotic thing he was doing.

As she passed Bumble Bee and Speedy, she could hear Bee's continued rant.

"I couldn't believe you'd do such a stupid thing! As if they aren't hyper enough! Why, I-" Raven looked over as Bee was abruptly cut off to find that Speedy had kissed her.

He pulled back and grinned at the winged girl. "Mistletoe, Bee."

She stood still a moment, shock in her wide gray eyes. Then, her features hardened, she drew back and punched him square in the jaw. "What the hell was that for Speedy?"

The archer staggered back, clutching his face. "What?" he demanded, "You're supposed to kiss under the mistletoe."

Raven smirked to herself as Bee resumed shouting at Speedy. The sorceress moved past them and through the sliding doors. They hissed shut behind her and she headed down the hallway, looking for any sign of Beast Boy. She found no trace of him until she reached the roof.

The green changeling was sitting on the roof, looking out over the bay. His shoulders were slightly slumped and he sat hunched over with his ear tips drooping. When Raven looked closer, she could see a watery streak down the side of his face. He had been crying. He turned his head in her general direction and smiled a bit. "Hey, Rae."

Raven crossed the roof top and stood behind him. She opened her mouth to remind him that her name was Ra-_ven_, not Rae, when she stopped herself. Now was not the time for something so trivial. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

Beast Boy shrugged, whipping the heel of his hand across his cheek swiftly. "Nothing," he replied hurriedly, looking away from her, "I'm fine, what're you doing up here?"

Raven ignored his question and narrowed her eyes as she sat beside him. "You were crying. Something is evidently wrong. Don't attempt to lie to me, Beast Boy."

He sighed and turned to face her, His emerald eyes were dark with sorrow and the tips of his ears drooped a bit. "It's just… Terra. She would have loved this. I miss her.

The violet haired sorceress felt her stomach drop. He was still stuck on Terra. Of course he was; he loved her. He loved the angelic, betraying geomancer and not her. Not that she had expected anything less. Tentatively, she took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "She was a good friend," she whispered, "She saved us; we all want her back. But she's gone, Beast Boy. Terra would want you to move on, to continue with her memory, not to have her hold you back."

Beast Boy sighed. "Yeah, you're right. She'd have the party, though. She'd be down there right now, dancing until she couldn't dance anymore and eating all of the food Star made the stuff that no one else would touch."

"And then Star would make more," Raven added, "She'd also be trying to stop Speedy's death by Bee down there."

He chuckled. "Death by Bee? Dude, what'd he do?"

She shrugged. "Gave Mas y Menos too much sugar and then kissed her under the mistletoe."

Beast Boy's jaw dropped. "He kissed her? Man, he's just asking for it. And he stole my idea from me!" He crossed his arms and pouted. "Not fair."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Your idea? Pray tell, who did you intend to try it on?"

Beast Boy blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "What if I said that it was you? What would you do?"

She leaned closer slightly, "I don't know what I'd do. I've never been kissed. What do you think I'd do?"

He grinned. "Well, there's only one way to find out." Before Raven could protest, he leaned forward swiftly and pressed his lips to hers. It was rather awkward, but sweet nonetheless. It was no more than a gentle pressure of lips against each other and it sent electricity coursing through her body. When they drew back, Beast Boy grinned again and pointed up.

Raven looked up to find a clump of green leaves with milky white berries hanging above them. She had to keep herself from smiling. "Mistletoe," she whispered, looking back to the green teenager beside her before pulling him in for another kiss.

**Huntress: Say it with me- Awwwww!**

**Speedy: -Grumbles- Stupid SpeedyBee shipping…**

**Huntress: Just be glad I didn't do any Spaqua. I was originally going too, you know. Anyway, review answers!**

**Nkcandygirl- Thankies! It was fun to write!**

**Curse you Perry the Platypus- -Gives KF plushie- Thank you! I love those three, they're adorable.**

** . - First off, I wish to apologize for the issues with getting your screen name right. FF apparently thinks that it is too long and cuts it off. –Gives KF plushie- Thank you for the wondrous review; I absolutely love KF. In Young Justice, he thinks like that, so that's what he's based off of.**

**Desireewu2001- Thankies, I love to make people laugh.**

**TigerLily957- KF plushie for you! –Gives- Thanks for the feedback!**

**Huntress: I promise; I'll be on time next week. Now until we next meet, remember…**

**Speedy: Reviews shall be fed to the Beast of Gratitude, criticism shall be remembered and flames shall be used to roast marshmallows!**

**Huntress: Adeu! **


	8. The Begining and the End

**Huntress: What's this? Is it a bird? Is it a plane?**

**Speedy: It's… It's another late update!**

**Huntress: Gasp! You'd never expect that of me, would you? I deeply apologize, I had an extreme lack of motivation and I suffer from a condition known as "laziness". But, it's here now! Did anyone else have a fantastic Valentine's Day? I certainly did. The boy I like gave me a rose! –squeals with joy- Okay, moving on. This one's rather sad; it takes place after the Titans disband.**

**Speedy: Hey, that rhymed!**

**Huntress: Shush, I'm explaining. In this time line, Raven's been missing for about a year and Beast Boy enters her room to see if he can find a keepsake to take with him as he leaves.**

**Speedy: Huntress of the Shadows does not own the Teen Titans; we belong to DC Comics. Or the idea of the note, that came from Maximum Ride.**

**Huntress: One last thing: this chapter contains a bit of gore, swearing and character death. If you are emotionally damaged by this chapter, I'm not paying for your psychiatrist! But it shouldn't come to that. And I have an announcement at the end, so please read that as well!**

**Speedy: Enjoy!**

Beast Boy wasn't sure what had possessed him to enter the room. It was a terrible idea, an idea that would have gotten him killed if he had tried it while Raven was still in the Tower. But he had done it anyway. He was curious, and curiosity killed the cat. Well, it would have, if curiosity was a serial killer and the cat had been green. But that was beside the point. If he didn't satisfy his curiosity, he might explode. Would his insides be green too?

The metal door hissed shut behind him, blocking out the light from the dying hallway bulb. He hesitated; instinct told him to run, even though Raven didn't live in the Tower anymore. However, something stirred at the back of his consciousness, urging him to carry on. Beast Boy, ever senseless, bless his soul, listened to the voice and stepped farther into the room. He made his way towards the rounded bed at the back. The voice urged him on; telling him there was a secret that he needed to discover there.

He protested weakly to himself that it wasn't smart, that Raven would have murdered him in cold blood after what had happened last time he trespassed there. If Raven had a secret, then it was hers to keep. This idea was soon abandoned, as the something brought up ideas of what the secret could be. He continued forward, until he reached the end of the bed.

_Look under…_ the something hissed.

It took Beast Boy a moment to recognize the voice. _Dude!_ He thought at it, _What did I say about invading my mind, Beast?_

The Beast snorted._ It's my mind too; I'm simply helping you. Do you want me to let you live and continue to live in the dark?_

_I'd rather you left me alone, But, as that will never happen- or at least not any time soon- I'd rather you stay quiet,_ he growled back.

_Just look inside the damned trunk,_ it sighed, _That's what's under the bed._

Beast Boy hesitated before kneeling beside the bed and pulling the blankets to the side. Another sheet of indigo greeted him.

_That's it,_ the Beast murmured, _Open it._

He nodded and pulled out the indigo-clad box. He yanked off the sheet to reveal a dark mahogany trunk with a cracked leather strap, held in place by a silver buckle. With slightly shaking hands, he gently unclasped it and opened the lid. The buckle fell with a jingle and the lid creaked ominously as it was lifted.

He was greatly surprised by what he found. Several things littered the bottom of the trunk. The first thing he noticed was the pale book that was Malchior's prison, placed under the objects. Raven's mirror to Nevermore rested on top of it, as well as a leaf that looked as if it was from the paradise that Kole and Gaanar'k came from and a gum wrapper from Tokyo. A shirt Starfire had given her from the one time that she had dragged Raven shopping and a wide black leather book rested at the very bottom of the trunk.

The last item piqued his interest; Beast Boy reached in and pulled it out. The book was wide and flat, the black leather was very plain. This didn't look like one of her usual horror novels. Tentatively, he opened it. The insides were just as plain as the outsides, filled with pale, creamy parchment paper that was unmarked, save for a single word in the middle of the page. "Mirror" was very clearly written in Raven's archaic scrawl.

Beast Boy sat back, pondering this. _Any input? _He snidely asked the Beast, who was, for once, unusually quiet.

_Nevermore's portal, _the Beast suggested gruffly, _Use that._

"For what?" Beast Boy demanded, lapsing into speech, "It's just a stupid book. It's not like there's anything in here." He paused, a notion dawning on him. "Oh… You think that this is a scrapbook and Raven out pictures in here and that she put a spell on the book to hide them."

If only the Beast could have smacked him in the back of the head, he would have. _Yes, you twit. Get the damned mirror._

Beast Boy obliged and grasped the hilt of the bejeweled mirror. It was surprisingly heavy for an object its size and made of a polished silver metal. The reflective glass plate was a perfect circle, with two large red stones- rubies or garnets- embedded around it ], one on the top and one on the bottom. Four horns stuck out at each of the sides, forming an "X" shape, while the hilt had two more, forming a sort of claw. It had been years since he had last seen the mirror, the last time had been a fantastic night for him. He had woken to find Raven using the mirror in the early morning, just after the sun had risen.

Holding the hilt with both hands, he rested it gently against the page, squeezing his eyes shut for the anticipated something that had to come.

_Nice try, idiot,_ the Beast rumbled in almost laughter, _This time, try actually hitting the word, or the page at least. _

Beast Boy opened his eyes to find that he had indeed missed the word, barely hitting the corner of the page at all. He raised the mirror again and pressed the cawed hilt to the word. A flash of light erupted, forcing his eyes shut and, when they opened again, finding the front page filled with words.

_What does it say?_ The Beast inquired eagerly.

This surprised him. "Can't you read it?"

It snorted. _I'm the manifestation of all things wild. Unless the Earth's animals suddenly decide to learn to read, I can't._

Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "Thank you for that lovely insight. It says…,"

_I am Raven Roth, daughter of Trigon the Terrible. I have joined a team of super-powered people in the hope of doing some good in this world. This is my place to store my memories. It is not to be viewed by any living soul, until the day I die._

The script that followed was evidently written later.

_If Beast Boy is reading this, it means that I have been gone for some time, and am most likely dead. He shouldn't worry, but still needs this from beginning to end._

_-Raven_

He licked suddenly dry lips. "I… I suppose that means we need to keep reading, then." He flipped the page, not waiting for a response, and was greeted by a picture taken shortly after the team was first formed. All five of the Titans stood in a clump, with Robin and Beast Boy- then the shortest- at front and center, with Starfire and Cyborg directly behind them. Raven stood off to one side slightly, her hood pulled up and shadowing her face so only her eyes could be seen. They all looked relatively happy, though a bit awkward with their new team mates. The caption under the photograph declared, "A new start."

The next page was another photo; this one of the Tower right after the H.I.V.E. had ransacked it. The kitchen was a mess, the common room was trashed and nothing was in its proper place. The writing below was visibly irritated. "The H.I.V.E. will pay…"

This was followed by many more pictures of random moments and the Titans together. One of the final images was all of the Teen Titans at their best moment: the defeat of the Brotherhood of Evil. Every Titan stood together, genuinely happy, laughing and smiling at one another. Beast Boy couldn't help but notice how much more at ease Raven was with the group from the first to this last image. She stood with Jinx, Star and Bumble Bee, evidently more relaxed in her surroundings. Her hood was down and there was even a smile on her face, a sight rarely seen.

With a heavy sigh, Beast Boy closed the book. No point in pining over a lost love, she was gone. As he moved to place the book back in the trunk, another picture fluttered out, landing gently on the soft carpet. He instantly picked it up, hoping for some cue to where Raven was. The moment he saw the image printed there, his eyes began to water with tears. He remembered this one so well. It was of him and Raven, about six months before she had left to God-knows-where. He had finally worked up the courage to ask her out on a date, and she had agreed. They had gone to her favorite tea house and he had asked the waitress to take pictures of them. When Raven had asked why, he simply responded, "I want to remember this always." This photo was from that day.

They were sitting together at one of the outside tables; his arm draped loosely around her shoulders, grinning like a fool at her, not the camera. She had her arm around his torso and a small smile- as close as she'd ever get to grinning- on her face. They were happy, the one thing that never seemed possible when they were together, at least when they were younger. Now, with Raven gone, it seemed to Beast Boy that he'd never be that joyful again. The caption at the bottom read, "Together and enchanted."

He had to blink several times to keep his tears away. They had been in love, for those six blissful moths before she had vanished. Then, nothing. He hadn't cared about anything, as if all the emotion had been sucked out of him. Nightwing and Starfire were the first to leave. They had gotten married and then headed off to Tamaran so Star could perform all of her royal duties when Galfor died. Then came Cyborg, who decided that it was time for him to start a real job, something where he could make a difference and do what he loved at Star Labs. Beast Boy would do anything to return to his life before Raven left.

As he was about to tuck to picture into his pocket, something on the folded over corner caught his eye. Flipping it over, he found that the back was covered in Raven's hurried scrawl.

_Garfield, I hope you can forgive me for leaving so suddenly. What kind of girlfriend am I to leave without notice, or a note for that matter? It was completely without warning and it will tear the team apart. But it must be done. We must each find our own path, away from home. I cannot explain why, but you must do so as well. I hope you will simply forget and move on, but I know you too well. You'll cling to anything that's left. If we aren't dead in the next five years, I'll meet you here at the Tower. _

_I love you, Raven_

The photograph fluttered to the soft carpet of the floor and Beast Boy leaned back, drawing his knees to his chest and letting his tears fall freely now. She was really gone, gone for good. She wasn't going to come back, not now, not ever again.

_Wrong, _the Beast hissed, _She'll be back in five years. Four years now. We'll be ready then._

He smiled. "Yeah, we'll be ready then."

**Four Years Later**

Beast Boy- now known as the Changeling to the public and Gar to his friends- scrambled up the rocks at the edge of the island, his dress shirt was torn and small cuts and scrapes littered his bare skin. His forest green hair was disheveled and the holo-ring that he normally wore had disappeared, leaving his green. "Raven!" he shouted over the howling wind, "What are you doing?"

The violet haired sorceress looked sorrowfully over her shoulder from where she levitated in the air, at the center of the whirlwind above the ocean. Wind whipped around her, making her hair stand out like a halo and the waves below rose higher than seemingly possible into the air. It was all her doing. "I'm ending this. The world can't go on like this, Garfield. Trigon's back and this time, he'll destroy the entire world and I can't stop him. The only way to make sure he doesn't take the entire universe. It's better for the human race to end, than to endure this suffering."

"But you could live! Just leave with me and we'll go to some other planet, where Trigon can't reach us!" He choked up, "I can't lose you again, Raven. Please."

Raven simply shook her head. "I can't leave them to become the slaves of my father. How could I live in peace anywhere else, knowing that I could have ended that for them? I'm sorry, Gar, I have to." She slowly descended to the Earth and landed directly in front of him. The wind died down a bit, making her voice more audible. "Star and Nightwing are safely on Tamaran and Cyborg is off in space. The others are safe, or gone. You're the only one left; I'll send you somewhere safe too."

It was Beast Boy's turn to refuse stubbornly. "I'm not leaving you. A lost you once before, I refuse to lose you again." He reached forward and cupped her cheek in his hand, staring intensely at her. "I know you just want to help, but I don't want you to go. Please, I couldn't bear it if I lost you, not ever again."

The sorceress placed her own gray hand upon his green one. "No matter what I do or where I go, Trigon will follow me. Without me alive and the place my heart is tied to, he can't fully reach his power; I'm too valuable a pawn for him to lose. This game has to end now, while I'm strong enough, before the entire universe is in jeopardy. You have to go."

Again, Beast Boy shook his head. "Not without you, Raven." He gave her the barest of smiles, leaning forward and tilting her chin up ever-so-slightly. Before she could release her protest, he lunged and planted a firm kiss on her lips. It was something that he had done so many times, though this time, the kiss was full of desperation and longing, a last ditch effort to get her to run away with him. One arm snaked around her waist, the other holding her face close to his own.

A moment later, the shocked girl relaxed into him, arms moving up around his neck, fingers tangling in his green hair. They fit like two perfect puzzle pieces, as if they had been made for one another. He pulled her closer, so her body was pressed flush against his and he deepened the kiss.

Another moment- or perhaps it was an eternity, who could really tell- Beast Boy pulled back and Raven gave him a ghost of a smile. "It's done," she whispered, eyes distant and sorrowful, "This is the beginning of the end."

Beast Boy felt the earth rumble. Screams from the city sounded in the air and building shook before being reduced to rubble. Raven's knees suddenly buckled, sending her into a heap in his arms. "Rae?" he whispered, his heart in his throat, as he lowered her gently to the ground.

She offered him a pained grunt and muttered something along the lines of "Put me down, you green oaf."

He rested her on her back, on the rocks of the island and brushed her violet hair from her pallid face. Her hand shot up and held fast to his. "Don't… Don't leave me," she coughed out, a drop of blood appearing on her lips, "I don't want to- I _can't- _do this alone."

He could do no more than nod his head and hold her hand in both of his. After a while, he found his voice again. "What's happening to you?" he asked hoarsely, his mouth suddenly dry.

"My body's shutting down; it's part of the spell. In order to destroy matter, a great deal of energy must be used; the kind of energy that can only be found in life. As a half-demon, I have a higher amount of power and a higher capacity of energy than a normal human does. The spell is literally stealing my life force to destroy the planet." That small, pale smile Beast Boy loved so much appeared on her lips. "I never got to tell you in person. I-" Raven froze, her mouth contorting into a grimace and her back arching painfully high off the earth.

Rae?" Beast Boy asked, panic rising in his voice, "Are you still with me? Rae?"

A shuddering cough racked her body, splattering ruby droplets over her pale skin. "I'm still alive, if that's what you're asking. My left lung just gave out; I don't have long left. I wrote it once, but I need to say it. I love you, Gar. I hoped you wouldn't be here, so you wouldn't have to see this. The last five years, I've never stopped loving you, not for a single moment." She took in a shuddering breath. "Live well, Gar."

"Wait, what do you mean? Raven, what are you doing?"

She rested a pale hand against his cheek. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."

It hit Beast Boy suddenly. "Rae, no!" A flash of white light blinded him and she was gone. His surroundings altered into those of the Tamaranian throne room. "No!" he howled, smashing his fists into the marble floor, "I had you back! I'd have stayed with you until the end!" He glared up at the faces of Nightwing and Starfire, who gazed down with sorrowful eyes.

Later that evening, Garfield Mark Logan was holed up in a guest room, his mind back on Earth, with the corpse gray girl with the violet hair, the girl he had left dead on a rocky beach, on a long gone planet.

**Huntress: -Bawls- I'm sorry, I just had to kill someone off! I hope you guys enjoyed it, even though I'm a lazy bitch. But I have news! Starting next week, I'll update this the first week of every month, no exceptions.**

** .skunk- I still feel bad about not getting the name right… I love the idea of Mas y Menos all hyper and spazzing; I'm using it in another story that's in progress. Thank you so much, it's great to hear what you loved about it, so I know what does not go down the garbage chute.**

**Katwizzle- Thankies! I love seeing reviews!**

**LitUp'Nside- Really? Thank you! Here is more of the Beast, I hope you like this as well. It's great to know that I can make people laugh; I'm supposedly the serious one of my friends. I hope you love this chapter too!**

**RavenRose1011- Thank you! I love being amazing to people. I hope you think this one's just as amazing!**

**Speedy: We have to hurry, so, review, please! **


	9. Dear Green Romeo, Love Not-Quite-Juliet

**Huntress: I'm back on time! Yay, hugs for all!**

**Speedy: Huntress is having issues with school and obsessive fan-girling, so she apologizes for the shortness and the fluffiness of this one. She discovered Hetalia and is now off the deep end for it.**

**Huntress: Quiet. But, yes, this is very short. These author's notes are simply here to make it longer. Yay for procrastination!**

**Speedy: Huntress of the Shadows does not own the Teen Titans, otherwise there would have been a sixth season and a Titans East spin off.**

**Huntress: Enjoy!**

Dear Raven,

Robin says that I have to apologize for painting your room pink and writing Air Freshener Land on you wall. So I will. I'm sorry that you have no sense of humor and that you have such a creepy room.

Beast Boy

Dear Beast Boy,

I have a sense of humor, you just happen to not be funny. Find some better jokes and I might laugh. My room is not creepy; it's based off of Gothic styles. If you bothered to learn anything, you might know that.

Raven

Dear Humorless Witch,

I am so funny! You just can't appreciate a good form of art.

The Green Wonder

Dear Green Idiot,

Art is an expression of emotion and inner turmoil through the forms of drawing, writing, singing acting, dancing and many other things. Your jokes, however, are nothing more than a futile and crude attempt at humor.

The Dark Sorceress

Dear Creepy Caped Creature,

Star laughs at my jokes, therefore, I am funny.

Changeling Child

Dear Mucus-Colored-Child,

Starfire would laugh at anything if you told her it was funny here; she's from another planet. You simply lack the necessary brain cells to see that. Try reading a book numbskull.

The Violet Witch

Dear Corpse Skin,

I do read, I need to know what's in food, so I don't eat any meat. You should try being a vegetarian; it does wonders for the skin.

Vive-El-Vegetarian

Dear Lettuce Head,

Comics book do not count as books. Are you implying that there is something wrong with my skin tone? Might I remind you that you are _green_? Think before you write, dumbass.

Paler-Than-Death-And-Proud

Dear Demon Girl,

I read more than just comic books! Just, not very often. What's wrong with being green? I think you're just insecure.

Green-Is-Better

Dear Jive-Less-In-Jump,

Insecure? You think that I'm insecure? How, pray tell, did you come up with that lovely observation? I am a half-demon sorceress with almost infinite power and a deep hunger for knowledge of the mystical arts. No one on this planet- or in this dimension for that matter- looks even relatively like me naturally. I am a hero, with more friends than I could have imagined before I came here. Explain that, idiot.

Azarath's Daughter

Dear Doom-Bringer,

Well, for starters, you lock yourself in you room for hours on end, you always wear that cloak of yours _and_ you almost never take that hood of yours down. You're insecure about your looks. Next, we bring up the facts that you're a half demon child of Trigon the Terrible- not exactly the best dad to have- and you were a portal for world destruction for him. And the coup of grace, you have no boyfriend, or any known crush. You once had Malchior, but he betrayed you and used you. Hence, you feel unlovable.

Dragon-Slayer

Dear Beast Blunder,

I believe you mean coup de grâce; it's French. If all that was even true, then you, Beast Boy, are a hypocrite. You use your idiotic nature as a front for your inner pain. Your parents died before your eyes, you were essentially a child soldier with the Doom Patrol, and you are _green_. You stick out like a sore thumb, even more than I. Terra abandoned and betrayed you, before joining Slade. You cannot get a girl to save your life. If anything, you should be the insecure one.

Death-To-the-Earth-Mother

Dear Dalek Queen,

For your information, I was the one who dumped Terra, not the other way around. Anyway, if you're so sure of yourself, who do you like? Not Cy or Robin I hope. Maybe… Speedy? Kid Flash? No, Jinx would have your head. Aqualad?

I'm-the-One-Who-Sunk-Atlantis

Dear Beetle Brain,

Like I would tell you. It doesn't matter; he probably doesn't like me anyway. Besides, if you're over Terra, who do you like. I pray to Azar it's not Starfire Bumble Bee's too… Assertive for you, Jinx is completely out of the question. Kole, perhaps?

Diamonds-Are-Not-This-Girl's-Best-Friend

Dear Musty-Book-Reader,

Why do you care? It's not like you told me yours, or anything.

Green-With-Envy

Dear Metamorphic Moron,

I don't care. I just don't want her to be another back-stabber and hurt our team. Who is she?

Not-As-Emotionless-As-You-Think

Dear Black-Bird-of-Death,

Fine. What would you say if I told you it was you?

Hopeless Hero

Dear Emerald Enigma,

I'd tell you that I liked you back and I have for years.

The Raven Queen

Dear Black Rose,

Well then. I would tell you that all my jokes since day one have been to see if I could make you laugh. And then that you have the most beautiful laugh in the world.

Green-And-Indigo-Are-Best-Together

Dear Green-As-Grass,

Then I would say that I never reacted to your jokes so you would keep telling them. I love to hear you talk. Though you're still not funny.

Indigo-Eyed

Dear Mystic Majesty,

Fine then. Will you go out with me? And I am so!

Animalistic

Dear Hero,

Yes. We're dating now. No, you're not.

Sorceress Supreme

Dear Raven,

Yes I am. I love you.

BB

Dear Beast Boy,

No, you're not.

Raven

P.S. I love you too.

**Huntress: Again, I apologize for the shortness, this was just how it came out. From now on, I will actually update on time, which is the first Tuesday of every month.**

**RotatingOwl- Thank you! It's great to hear that people liked that part, I wasn't sure on it.**

**RavenRose1011- Thankies! For this one, I just felt that Raven had to die, or at least some character did. **

**Speedy: Remember, reviews are peace offerings to Huntress's undead army. Review and the world won't end!**

**Huntress: Thanks for the support, we love you all! See you in April!**


	10. Desert Sky

**Huntress: Hullo my dears, I'm back with a very long update, as recompense that it is a really late! I figure you guys would rather have a completed, decent one, rather than a short, crappy one. I really hope you guys like this one; it was so much fun to write!**

**Speedy: Come on, we still have to finish the typing…**

**Huntress: I know, I know. Okay, this… What do I call it? Drabble, chapter, sector? Let's go with chapter, it makes it sound like it has a plot! This is a Western!AU, featuring a Bounty Hunter!BB and a Hunted!Raven. That first paragraph down there is from Raven's viewpoint, and then the rest is from Beast Boy's. It takes place in 1869, four years after the American Civil War ended. BB is twenty-two years old, Raven is twenty-three. Xandria Jex is the name I created for Jinx.**

**Speedy: And, we have some other good and bad news! The good news is that we have the chapters planned out now, so things should go more smoothly. The bad news, we have decided where and when this will end. Twenty chapters long, ending in November, which will be the anniversary of the story. **

**Huntress: *Sigh* 'Tis true. I have too many ideas to make it go longer than that. But, Midnight Rising will be updated this month- hopefully-, and my story I'm working on with a friend (she's drawing it, I'm writing it) will be posted here eventually! **

**Speedy: Well, these author's notes are too long, so we'll see you after the chapter!**

**Huntress: You can't say when the author's notes are done, only the author can do that!**

**Speedy: Too bad, 'cause I just did!**

**Disclaimer****- Huntress of the Shadows does not, never has and never will own the Teen Titans. The closest to this she will ever get is owning a pair of Robin socks. Nor does she own the American Wild West, that's history. She does, however, own a cap gun revolver that will deafen you if you stand to close. **

**Warning****- There is a fair bit of swearing in this chapter. Also, the character back stories are altered a bit to fit the story.**

**Huntress: Fine. Let the story commence! Please note that BB is speaking in a Western accent, which is why the spelling for him is off. Enjoy, my lovelies!**

Step, step, step.

One foot in front of the other, don't stop, don't look back and don't think. Don't remember those blasts in the dark, or the crackling of the flames or the screams of terror in the night. Just keep walking, walk until you collapse, or until you find something worth stopping for. Is anything worth stopping for at this point? No, not really, not anymore. Those that were worth fighting for are gone now, long gone. So don't stop, don't think, and, most of all, don't remember.

Right, left, right.

Step. Step, step.

Alone, in the middle of the deserted desert night, a figure collapsed in the sand.

Garfield Logan hadn't expected to find what he was looking for in the desert, so he sure as hell didn't expect to find something else out there. Yet, there they were, a trio of buzzards slowly circling downward to the desert sand. The young man shaded his eyes from the sun and peered into the distance, searching for the black birds' target. Soon enough, he found their prey, a dust and cream colored heap that was most likely a lost steer.

Normally, Gar would have continued on his merry way to the next town, a little place called Black Briar, and whatever job lay ahead of him. This time, something held him back from spurring his horse onward. _I'll just have a quick look_, he thought to himself, urging his chestnut stallion onward, _It won't be anything, anyways. It's most likely just a steer that fell behind and got left here on one of the drives. _Still, something sat uneasily in his stomach.

When he reached the heap in the sand, Gar was shock, to say the least. A young woman, not much older than he, lay sprawled in the sand. Her short black was wild, dust covered and tangled, her once-pale skin reddening from the harsh sun and littered with scrapes, bruises, blisters, dust and black smudges. The white shirt that she wore was torn, bloodied and singed in places, her brown trousers being in no better a state. She looked like no more than someone from one of the towns who had fallen on hard times. The only thing that didn't really add up to her appearance was her boots. They were made of what seemed to fine leather, not too terribly filthy looking, with violet double "R"s stitched to the side. They weren't the property of someone struggling to survive, leaving two conclusions possible about her.

One: she was a thief on the run, making it Gar's job to stop her and bring her to justice.

Two: she was from a wealthy family and something terrible had caused her to run into the desert alone.

Well, there was only one way to find out. He'd have to wake her and ask himself.

Gar hopped down from his horse, his scuffed boots stirring up dust as he landed. He walked to her side and crouched by her head, placing a calloused hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her. "Hey, miss," he said in a stage whisper, "Ya awake?"

For a few moments, the woman gave no response, making Gar worry that she was dead. Then, her eyelids fluttered and her lips twitched.

"Miss?" Gar persisted, shaking her again, rougher this time.

The woman's eyes snapped open; the dark blue-violet color of the iris's striking against her pale face. She let out a shriek and swatted his hand away, scrambling back on her hands frantically. He jumped back and to his feet, equally startled.

"Hey!" he held up his hands in a peaceful gesture, "I ain't going to hurt ya. You're safe with me, miss. Are ya alright?"

The dark-eyed woman gazed at him warily from the ground. Carefully, she spoke at last, he tone laced with distrust. "Who are you?"

Gar supposed she had every right to be wary of him, even if he was trying to help. He must have looked terrible; the last day of hard riding hadn't been good for him. With his denims torn, and dirt-covered- his shirt and books in no better state-, his skin filthy, hair ruffled and crazed and his revolver strapped to his side, he must have looked like a bandit. He grinned at her and offered his hand. No matter the situation or his profession, she was a lady and he'd be damned if he didn't treat her as such. "My name's Garfield Logan, miss, though most people call me Gar. What's yer business way out here? Don't ya know the nearest town is miles away?"

The woman pursed her lips and scowled at him, before ignoring his hand and standing on her own. "My business in none of yours, sir. I know perfectly well where I am, thank you very much. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get going." She took a step, evidently intending to brush past him. However, her legs gave out and she ended up falling in to his chest.

Gar chuckled and he held her up by the elbows. "Y'alright there miss? 'Cause it seems to me that someone who collapsed in the middle of the desert might be a bit weak, especially if that someone is as battered as you are."

She pushed against his chest, stumbling back as he released her. "I'm fine," she growled, "As I said, my affairs are none of your concern. Good day to you, sir." She moved to stride past him again, and was this time halted by him grabbing her wrist. She froze and snarled, "Let. Me. Go."

"Nah, I don't think I will," Gar drawled, "Ya see, my job is to make sure that the people out here are safe. So your doings are my business, darlin'. I'm a bounty hunter-"

"Wait," the woman cut him off, snatching her wrist back and moving to face him, "You're a bounty hunter? Then you may be of some assistance to me. What did you say your name was?"

Gar grinned and bowed, doffing his Stetson. "Garfield Logan at your service, miss. What's yer name?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Raven. Call me Raven."

He cocked his head to the side. "What's the matter, Raven? Couldn't recall yer own name fer a moment there? That kind of thing's bound to happen if you've been out here all night."

"Yes, something like that," Raven sighed, "Now, if you have no job currently, I have someone I need to find. Have you heard of the man Sebastian Blood?"

Gar felt his blood run cold. Sebastian Blood was the leader of a rising society that could only be found in the western states, called the Cult of Trigon. He didn't know much about them, other than they worshipped some demon lord and that they were allegedly behind the mass killings on farms and plantations near smaller towns and cattle trails. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "Yeah, I've hearda him. Watcha need him for?"

A sad, small smile graced the young woman's face. "Let's just say that he and I have some… Unfinished business between us. He has something of mine, and I would like it back. Anyway," she composed herself one again and carried on, "I need to find him. All you have to do is track him down, not confront him or bring him to me, just find him. I can pay you, quite well, actually. Will you take it?"

He considered this for a moment. Not a single job had turned up for him in almost a month and Raven hadn't given him a dead-line to find him. Going after Blood would be an extremely dangerous and most likely deadly feat for him to even attempt to accomplish. Then again, how couldn't he help her? Besides, he didn't have to confront Blood, just find him; he could do that. "Alright," Gar agreed, "I'll help ya. Where'll ya be stayin'?"

Raven shrugged. "I haven't a clue yet. What's the nearest town called?"

"Black Briar."

She nodded. "Good. I'll be staying there then. You should be able to find me there when you're done. Good luck, Mister Logan." She turned away and began walking, stumbling a few steps.

Gar hesitated, and then headed for headed for his horse. He stepped up in the stirrup and swung his leg over the saddle, before making a split second decision to follow the mysterious woman. "Hey, miss, wait!" he cried, spurring his horse toward her,

Raven paused, waiting for him to reach her. "What?" she demanded calmly, her brow arched in question, "I thought I told you to go?"

He shrugged. "Well, I ain't exactly very good at doin' as I'm told, miss. At least let me give you a ride to town; it's a good couple of miles and it ain't safe to walk alone out here a night."

"I assure you, I can handle myself," Raven retorted stiffly, beginning to walk away again, "I can and will get there on my own. Good day to you, sir."

With a heavy sigh, Gar rode alongside her. "I ain't saying that you can't handle yerself; I'm saying that ya can't handle other people. The deserts fulla bandits and the like, ya know. I just don't want ya gettin' hurt. I mean," he quickly continued, seeing her glare, "Yer still a bit weak from why-ever ya were out here."

Raven scowled further at him. "What would make you think I couldn't handle a couple of bandits?" she challenged, "As I said before, I can take perfect care of myself, and any low-life who crosses my oath. _They_ should be afraid of me. Now, _good day._" She stood rim-rod straight and stomped onward, fists clenched.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "Hey, Miss Raven" he called ahead to her, stopping his horse.

"What?" she snarled, turning to face him. "This had better be of importance, Mister Logan, or this will not end well for you."

Gar grinned. "Oh, it is. Ya do know that if you continue that way, you'll hit the gorge in an hour, right? Black Briar's the other way."

Raven glared at him again, before a blush colored her cheeks and she stomped back towards him, grumbling under her breath. "I knew that."

"Ya sure ya don't want me to give ya a lift?" Gar asked again, "It'll take ya 'til noon tomorrow to get there at the rate you're goin'. Besides, ya look like ya could use some company."

Her scowl deepened as she looked up at him, finally snapping, "Fine. And this is only because I don't want to waste an entire day getting there. Once we get to town, I'm going to get a room at the tavern and you're going to go do your job."

He nodded in assent and offered his hand to her. Raven glared up at it as though it were some revolting creature for a moment, then took it and hauled herself up on the horse behind him. Gar spurred his mount forward, remaining silent until they had been riding for a good several minutes.

"So, Miss Raven, if ya don't mind my askin', who are you, really? And why do you want to find Blood?"

Raven stiffened behind him, but remain silent. An uneasy moment later, she found her voice. "How," she asked, her voice taught with distrust, "Did you ever come to that conclusion? After all, who I am is none of your concern, nor is why I need to find Blood. All that you need to know is that he has something of mine that I want back. There is nothing else."

Gar couldn't help but smirk a little at this. "Well, ya see, miss, as a bounty hunter, I ain't required to help ya. I could just leave ya here and be on my merry way to find a less dangerous job from someone who's willin' to give me more to go on. But I won't. So, I suggest that ya tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothin' but the truth if ya want my help. And I ought to inform ya, I'm one of the fastest draws in the state, so unless ya got a decent weapon on ya, I wouldn't try anythin' funny."

His words, like several times before, were met by chilly silence. Only this time, a thin line of icy metal accompanied it, pressed across his throat. "Well, I really didn't think I would need this, but I'm rather glad I brought it now, especially after meeting you," Raven whispered, her breath tickling his ear, "Now, _I_ suggest that you keep going and that you do not stop until we reach Black Briar. I'll leave you in peace there, and you _will_ leave me alone, until you can give me the whereabouts of Blood. I would really rather not, but I will not hesitate to kill you. Do I make myself clear?"

A normal person would have nodded. A normal person would be shaking in fear after having their life threatened. But Gar had never really been viewed as normal. Instead, his smirk grew and he laughed. The poor woman must have no clue who she was messing with.

"Well, ya see," he drawled out, before deciding to drop the phony accent all together, "I'm not exactly who you think I am either, Miss Raven. So, I imagine you might want to let me go." He, swift as one of the desert rattle snakes, twisted in the saddle, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing the nose of his revolver to her temple. The blade of her knife was still biting into his throat. How had she moved so quickly? "Now, would be nice."

Raven glared defiantly at him. "And what if I don't? If you shoot me, you have an unexplained corpse on your hands; not exactly the best thing for a bounty hunter with a price on his own head."

"And you can't cut my throat and steal my horse, if you want someone to find Blood for you," Gar retorted.

The other nodded slowly. "It appears that we have reached an impasse. A truce, for now?"

"Fine," he agreed, "A truce." He hesitantly lowered the revolver as she moved her knife. "Now, how did you know that I had my own bounty? Or are you not going to tell me that either?"

Raven frowned. "Well, I suppose I can tell you that. You have quite the reputation, Mr. Logan. They say that you never fail a mission, and that you are one of the deadliest marksmen in the States. It was only natural that I found you a curiosity, so I did a fair bit of digging on you. It was in my town that you shot that thief, the one that earned you your price."

Gar nodded and turned to face front again, spurring his horse into a slow trot. "You mean Devil's Creek? Yeah, I remember that place well. Some people said that the family that ran the town had made some sort of deal with the devil himself. It was the Roths, wasn't it? Did you ever meet them?"

There was silence, then a deep breath. "No, I can't say that I did. They sat up in there estate, never leaving. They even sent servants down into town to buy all of their food and clothes and other things. I know they had a daughter." She cleared her throat. "My turn to ask. Why'd you change your dialect?"

"Oh, that." He let out a nervous laugh and felt his face heat up. "Well, I'm not exactly from around here. So I took on the accent to sound a bit more…"

"Normal?" Raven interjected.

"Yeah."

"Where are you from, then?"

Gar shrugged. "I was born back east in Pennsylvania. I almost fought in the war, but Steve- my adoptive father- wouldn't let me. He said I was too young and I would get myself killed. I left home after the war ended."

Raven made a sympathetic noise in response. "I'm sorry to hear that. One of my good friends lost his leg in that war. You should be thankful that you didn't fight."

"Maybe," he sighed, "I'll never know. So, Miss Raven, who are you really?"

"I told you," she growled, her fingers tightening in the fabric of his shirt, "You don't need to know that."

"Ah, but you asked me two questions. It's only fair that I get to ask you another as well." He twisted around to give her a grin. "You understand how this works, right?"

Raven glared at him again. "I told you what you need to know. What's the point in saying any more?"

Gar shrugged, turning back around. "What's the point in listening to old stories? I'm just curious. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Well, I don't appreciate people in my personal business, just because they're _curious_," she hissed, fingers digging into his skin.

"Might I remind you that_ you_ did a bit of research on me when you found me a 'curiosity'?" he retorted.

"I had a very good reason to," she snarled, "I do believe that it was very well within my rights to learn about the man who shot and very nearly killed a good friend of mine, while she was trying to help me escape that hell hole of a place, despite the fact that she had no price on her head and was completely innocent. I think that I am entitled to not trust that man with my life story. That man, Mr. Logan, is you, if you haven't gotten that through that thick skull of yours. So I suggest that you do not ask me any more infuriating questions, lest I revoke our current truce and kill you here and now. Am I clear?"

Gar swallowed thickly. He remembered now. It had been almost a year ago. Raven's friend was the red-headed thief he had shot back in Devil's Creek. She had been running from the local sheriff, a beast of a man by the name of Slade Wilson, supposedly guilty of robbing the local saloon the night before. Sheriff Wilson had shouted for his to stop the fleeing girl, leading him to shoot her on impulse. The bullet had pierced her shoulder, slowing her down enough to be caught. Her name had been Jex, Xandria Jex, a twenty year old woman who had been completely innocent. He had nearly killed the poor girl. "We are quite clear, Miss Raven. And, for what it's worth, I never meant to hurt her that badly."

Raven huffed. "You can tell her that yourself once we reach town. She runs the saloon with her husband, Wally."

He nodded. "I can do that. I'm sorry for ruining your escape, too. I can tell you didn't like that place."

"What gave it away?" the black haired woman retorted, "When I called it a hell-hole or when I said I wanted to escape from it?" She sighed. "I accept your apology, even if I did spend the rest of the year locked up in the manor- "She stopped short.

Manor? Suddenly, it all clicked in Gar's head. The boots that didn't add up, being in Devil's Creek, wanting to escape it, her hesitance at talking about the Roths, living in a manor… "You're the Roth girl!" he exclaimed, unintentionally jerking on the reins and bringing his horse to a halt. "Rachel Roth!"

"Well, fuck," Raven- Rachel, now- muttered, "I thought that if you hadn't suspected anything yet, you might not figure it out at all. I suppose that if something seems too good to be true, it is." She cleared her throat. "Yes, I am Rachel Roth. Now that we have that cleared up, can we please continue on to Black Briar? That is where we were headed, right?"

Gar blinked several times as he absorbed the information. He was talking to Rachel Roth, the daughter of one of the most successful businessmen in all of the States and the heir to that financial empire. "Y-yeah. That's where we're headed. You said that's where Miss Jex lives, right, Miss Roth?" He nudged his heels into his horse's sides to spur him on again.

"Yes," she sighed, "That's where Andy lives. Please, don't treat me so formally. Just call me Rachel; I'm nothing special."

He nodded mutely, still trying to process all he had learned. Gar had never met any on the Roths and only knew the bare minimum about them. With his little knowledge, he had simply assumed that Rachel would be a stuck-up little priss like the other rich girls he had met over the years. Naturally, he was surprised to find that she was the exact opposite.

Gar realized that Rachel was speaking to him again. "Excuse me, Miss R- I mean, Rachel. What were you saying?"

"I _said_," Rachel repeated, exasperation lacing her words, "You already know who I am, so there's not really much point in keeping why I need to find Blood from you."

"You have to," he quickly interjected, "I don't want to force you into something you don't want to do."

"No, I don't mind telling you." She kept her voice neutral as she spoke. "It's… A different sort of tale, but nothing too terrible, as far as stories go. It might be a relief to get it off my chest."

"Alright," Gar agreed warily, "But we ought to stop for the night. It's getting dark, and it'll take at least another two hours to reach Black Briar. We don't want to get lost in the desert at night." The sky had started to darken as the sun prepared to fall below the horizon; they had been travelling for several hours.

Rachel hesitated before replying, "Fine. But I want to get there by noon tomorrow at the latest. Andy and Wally should be expecting me, if they've heard the news, which they should have by now. They'll be worried if I don't turn up soon."

An hour later Gar and Rachel had made a make-shift camp near a small stream. There was a short, twisted tree that provided a little cover and a pair of boulders, perfect for resting on. Gar had started a small fire of branches from the tree, leaving the duo warm. Rachel sat on one boulder, across the fire from Gar.

After sitting in silence for a fair amount of time, Gar spoke up. "So… Are you going to tell me or what?"

Rachel nodded to him and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and gazing into the fire. "Where do I start? You found me passed out in the middle of the desert, with no mode of transportation in sight." She took a deep breath. "The beginning is as good a place as any, I suppose."

"My father, as you know, was a very wealthy businessman, one of the best in the cattle industry. He wasn't the kindest man, or the smartest, or the most reasonable one, but he was my father. He liked to drink, and to gamble. Well, we all know how those two things work together," she gave a dry, humorless laugh, "One night, he had had a bit too much to drink, and decided to bet the entire estate on a game. He won and was accused of cheating. He had been playing against Sebastian Blood that night."

"Blood was furious at losing to my father. He had planned on using our home as some sort of hide away, a safe house from the law. In the middle of the night, he arrived at the house, demanding that my father give him something of value as compensation. He-" Rachel broke off, her head down and her hair shielding her face form Gar's view. Her shoulders shook a little and he thought he heard strangled noises coming from her. When she looked back up, the faintest traces of tears lingered on her cheeks and in her eyes.

"Rachel?" Gar asked softly, "Are you alright?"

Rachel took in a deep, shuddering breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just… Even though I wasn't close to my family- hell, I hated my father at more than one point in time- they were still my family, and the only thing I really had."

"Rachel," Gar crossed their make-shift camp and crouched in front of the black-haired woman. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But, if you do, I'm willing to listen." He took her pale hands in his and looked her in the eye.

She gave him a flicker of a smile "Thank you, Garfield. I want to tell you; it'll be good to have it out in the air. Blood returned with demands and I was those demands. He inducted what could almost be called a siege upon our house. My father was a coward and a fool at the best of times, but he did have a soul, and he loved my mother. He didn't hand me over, even if it was only for her sake. Blood refused to retreat, he had my father trapped. Still, my father denied him. So, Blood burned down the manor in retaliation, with all of us trapped inside. I was the only one to escape with my life, and that nearly didn't happen at all."

Gar wasn't sure exactly what to say. What could he say, really? Rachel had lost the only home she had ever known and her entire family as well. Her fiends could think that she was dead, for all she knew. An 'I'm sorry,' would not suffice in the least here.

"My parents," he started, unsure of how he would exactly go about this, "Died when I was five years old. I lost my mother to a sickness that could have been treated, but we couldn't pay for a doctor. My father killed himself less than a year later. I went to live with Steve and Rita, friends of my parents. When the war of the States stared, I was sixteen. I wanted to go out and fight, and I almost did, but Steve wouldn't let me go. He went instead and almost got himself killed. He can't even use his right arm anymore. So, I came out here with the home of making some extra money. I send everything I can back to them. They aren't much, but they're the only family I have left."

Rachel bit her lip and gave his hands a squeeze. "I know words don't really help, and they don't ever mean much, but I'm sorry. I guess we've both lost more than we ought to have."

Gar nodded, giving her a small smile in return. It wasn't one of his normal devilish grins when someone underestimated him, or the smirk he would give when someone had played right into his hands. It was small and genuine, full of sorrow and loneliness. "Yeah. I'll help you to the best of my abilities, Rachel. Blood needs to be brought down, and I'll help you do it, no matter what."

She smiled at him again, the pale ghosts of a dozen emotions in her eyes. "Thank you, Garfield. I'll assist you in any way I can, then."

He stuck out one of his hands, still holding one of hers in his other. "Friends?" he offered.

Rachel nodded, accepting his hand. "Friends," she agreed, before being pulled swiftly into a tight hug by Gar. She let out a squeak of surprise, but returned it anyways.

"Rachel and Gar, partners in crime," he laughed, pulling back and resting his callused hands on her shoulders, "I like the sound of that. I swear to you now, I will not rest until Blood pays for what he's done. I will not abandon you, and I won't let you down."

She placed a hand on his cheek. "And swear to help you as much as I can. I'll stick with you, even after we bring down Blood, if you want." A blush darkened her cheeks, making Gar grin.

"I'd like that. I'd like that very much. Partners in crime? Er, the law?"

She nodded. "Partners is crime.

That night, a smile remained on Rachel Roth's face as she slept under the stars in the middle of a desert, the man beside her being to one that had saved her from herself and the one she would fall in love with.

But that, my dears, is a tale for another time.

**Huntress: Okay, it's finally done! Eleven pages long and over five thousand words, but done! It felt a bit weird at the end, but maybe that's just me.**

**Speedy: If you actually like this segment and want to read more, you can visit Huntress's Quotev account, The Kirkland Crew, or her Wattpad, MistressofRevenge. Those ones aren't fan fiction, but the first chapter is the same. Inks are in her profile.**

**Huntress: Review Responses!**

**Nkcandygirl- Thankies!**

**Maddielove95- Well, I can't deny your command, now can I? Here you go!**

**Cecilia Haunt- Hate you? Never! Actually, your review made me go back and look at it, so now that part's fixed, if you haven't seen it. I'm sorry I made you cry, but it was good, right?**

**Guest- Aw, thank you!**

**SKHT- Thank you! **

**Sesquipedalia- Eh, psychology makes no sense. The human mind makes no sense. But, perhaps because she's half demon, Raven can do that? Who knows? Thank you for thar, I wasn't sure if she was right or not. I had to rewrite this one several times for that. Thank you for reviewing!**

**Val- The plot lines aren't really connected, only if I say they are. Actually, I'm planning on writing a second part to that one, but I won't tell you what happens just yet. It's nice to hear what people like about this. Thankies for the luck!**

**Huntress: Well, I'm signing off, folks. Next chapter- a drabble of pure dialogue! **

**Speedy: We hoped you liked this, and that you'll review. Huntress apparently has somebody joining us next time, to help keep me in line.**

**Huntress: Yep! Also, if you want to read more of this, you can find it on my Wattpad or Quotev. **

**Speedy: Peace out, and watch out for falling pianos! **


	11. Not a Chapter- Please Read

Ah, hello my lovelies. As you can see, this is not a chapter. Due to many things going on in my life right now, I'm putting my story on an indefinite hiatus. I'm terribly sorry, but it's necessary. You see, my Teen Titans muse has left me, and I don't want to force anything out. I want to give you guys quality work, and right now, I just can't do that. Expect something from me by the end of July. I should have my writer's block solved by then. For some strange reason, I seem to be able to write Hetalia things right now, so if you've ever seen that, I should have something up there eventually. Again, I'm sorry, but this is for the best.

With love, Huntress


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